


Underneath

by Aaronlisa



Category: Secret Circle (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-27 17:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/298049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not even Melissa knows the real Faye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underneath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scorpiod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorpiod/gifts).



> The story is set prior to Season One starting but there's minor spoilers for episodes up to 1x09. There's also implied Faye/Jake and Melissa/Nick but the focus is all Faye/Melissa.

Even from an early age, Faye has always known what people think about her. She knows exactly what Adam and Diana believe about her, what the girls at school have whispered about her since grade school, the lies that Jake undoubtedly told Nick about her, and even what her mother despairs about her. She can even sum it al up in one word: _slut_. The irony of the whole situation is that despite the way that she acts, despite what everyone wants to believe about her, despite what she lets them think about her, Faye's only ever been with Jake. And that was only a handful of times.

 

It probably explains why she's so nervous now standing in front of Melissa in one of the upstairs bedrooms at the abandoned house. Faye's not quite sure what Melissa thinks or believes about her. Melissa's the only one that's ever been close enough to her to see flashes of the real Faye: the insecure girl who cried when Jake dumped her, the girl who's desperate for her mother's love and affection, the girl who dreams about having something like Adam and Diana have, the girl who can't wait to leave Chance Harbor behind her as soon as possible.

 

Melissa's the only one who Faye ever lets in and as Faye stands there before Melissa, she can't help but wonder how Melissa sees her. She feels naked and ashamed as Melissa just sits there on the old couch that they had dragged up the stairs. Faye knows that Melissa's judging her and she's not certain that the other girl will judge her favourably. For the first time, she wants to be the type of girl that Melissa can look at and be proud of. Faye pushes it down and dons the familiar armor of arrogance as she puts a hand on her hip.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Melissa just shrugs her shoulders. "What's the point, you're going to do what you're going to do regardless of what I say."

Even though Melissa's words sound like something as trite as what Diana or her mother would say, they still somehow manage to hurt her. This is Melissa and Melissa's not supposed to judge her poorly, to be tired of the way that Faye acts, Melissa is supposed to be her best friend, her partner in crime.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're just not into this?" Faye asks, arcing an eyebrow upwards, trying to hang onto her confidence.

"Because it's boring. Every time some girl says something to you that you don't like, you try to humiliate her. Nick was saying that all the boys think you're a tease."

"I don't care what Nick says," Faye spits out. "And why should I care if a bunch of stupid jocks think I am a tease, it's not as if their precious little girlfriends are putting out either."

"I just don't see the point in it anymore," Melissa says. "You're better than this."

"You do realize that you sound just like Diana. Did she put you up to this? Ask you to preach to me?"

Melissa rolls her eyes at Faye as she shakes her head at her. Still Faye's pretty certain that the words that are coming out her friend's mouth aren't Melissa's to begin with.

"Come on, it's fun, why shouldn't I do this? It'll show some little cow her place and the added bonus is I get to show some stupid jock his place too."

"But you're not doing any of that. You're just making some girl hate you and some guy think you're a tease. One day, one of those guys isn't going to accept you saying no..."

Faye interrupts Melissa before she can continue. "Spare me the After School Special. I don't need the lecture about the dangers of leading a boy on. We're witches, I think I can handle myself,"

Faye turns away from Melissa and she stares out the window. This is why she wants to leave Chance Harbor, why she doesn't want to care about anyone here. She's tired of always being told that she's a weak little girl who's going to get hurt if she's not more careful. There's nothing here to hold her back, not even their pathetic little lopsided Circle.

Melissa wraps her arms around Faye's waist from behind. And for a moment, Faye's heart rebels. She thinks that maybe, just maybe, she'd be willing to change her ways for Melissa. But even then the private moments that they share aren't enough. She doesn't want to be Melissa's dirty little secret that no one knows about.

"Come on, Faye, don't be like this," Melissa says.

"Like what?" Faye stubbornly asks.

"It's not fun anymore, it's boring, and you're never boring."

Faye shifts in Melissa's arms so that she's facing her. Before she can say anything, Melissa is pulling her down for a kiss and the feeling is magical. It's why she keeps coming back to Melissa, why she lets Melissa keep them a secret from everyone, even the Circle.

Somehow they make it back to the couch where they tumble onto faded cushions, limbs tangled and their mouths moving over one another's skin. Faye forgets about her petty plans for revenge as her world shrinks to just the two of them. She smiles against the curve of Melissa's shoulder when Melissa gasps in surprise when Faye's hand slips up beneath the hem of Melissa's skirt.

It's Melissa who pushes her away and Faye hates the way her heart feels like it's tearing in two. She's good enough to kiss, to play with but not good enough to go all the way. She knows that it's Nick that's coming between them, Nick that's tearing them into two and even though she can tell Melissa that Nick is just like Jake, that he'll use her up and tear her apart, she knows that Nick isn't Jake.

Faye starts to pull away but Melissa's hands clamp around her biceps and Faye stares down at her.

"What?"

It comes out colder and harder than she intended but she's tired of playing this game where they only go so far and then she gets pushed away. She wants Melissa, she thinks that Melissa might want her too but Faye knows that it's not enough.

"Don't go, it's just you're going too fast for me."

"If I go any slower, we'll both die of old age before we actually have sex."

Faye manages to pull away and she sits down on one end of the couch. She won't look at Melissa, she won't plead or beg even if that's what she wants to do.

"Is this just about sex for you?"

"I thought you knew me better than that," Faye replies with a bitter laugh. She doesn't say _I thought that you knew how I feel about you._

"You're a hard person to get to know."

"Look if you don't want me, just say so. _This_ ," Faye says as she waves a hand between the two of them. "Is very boring."

Melissa looks at her and Faye can't tell what the other girl is thinking, she can't predict what she'll do. Melissa looks away first, her lips thinning as she makes up her mind. And Faye's pretty certain that Melissa isn't going to choose her. Suddenly her lap is full of Melissa and she can't say anything for the shock.

"Don't think that this means that I love you or anything stupid like that," Melissa tells her before she kisses her.

Faye's breath is taken away from the intensity of the kiss even as her heart breaks because she wants Melissa to love her, to want nobody else but her. Still if she can't have that, she's not a saint so she'll greedily take whatever Melissa is willing to give her. Her hands grip Melissa's hips tightly and Faye's certain Melissa will have bruises later on but she doesn't care.

Later when they're lying entwined and naked on the couch, Faye has to stop herself from dreaming about a time when they'll leave town together. There's no point in building castles in the sky, Melissa's made it clear that this is just a one off between them and Faye won't admit that breaks her heart even more. She won't admit to Melissa that she needs her. When this moment is over, she'll don her mental armor and act as if this doesn't matter, as if it was nothing more than sex, she'll let Melissa believe the lies about her that everyone else believes. For the first time, Faye hates the fact that no one can see the real her. She hates that Melissa can't even really see the real her underneath all of the masks that she wears.

((END))


End file.
